Burroughs Cross Country: Burros improve in Bakersfield

The Burroughs boys cross country team is getting back to form, finishing seventh out of 17 teams – 158 points – at the Wolfpack Invitational in Bakersfield on Saturday.

“We absolutely raced better,” said Burros head coach Anthony Barnes. “A majority of the team had finished for the first time this season.”

Jacob Kelley finished 21st overall in 18:23.69, a personal best at the course by over a minute. Riley Jackson was right behind him, finishing 23rd in 18:27.20, also a minute faster than last year. Bryce Hill, the third Burro to cross the finish line, did so in 18:29.56. Ben Washburn crossed the line in 18:47.62, making the Burros’ time gap from first to fourth at only 24 seconds.

The next three finishers had an even shorter gap. Gage Stewart (20:22.04) and Anthony Serna (20:22.07) finished three-hundredths of a second from each other. Vonn Roy then came in at 20:33.11, eleven seconds after the two.

“I drilled into them that this is the only way to do it,” Barnes said, referring to the Burros’ need to stay in a pack. “Riley and Jacob were together the whole time. Ben was there for two miles. That part played an effect.”

Conditions were favorable. Most of the race was done in 70-degree weather, with the incoming cold front keeping temperatures comparably low. The course featured two hills, which the Burros took on as a welcome challenge.

“From top to bottom, they felt the hills were their friends,” Barnes said. “They understand that you look forward to hills. They hit those hills and were passing people.”

The Burroughs boys JV runners finished seventh overall. Spencer Johnson (12:26.25) was the first Burro to cross the line, at 19th overall. The frosh-soph squad finished in fourth place overall.

“We were three points from third,” Barnes said. “It isn’t bad when you consider that. We moved kids around. Some went up to JV, some to varsity. It went really well. Some of the other kids stepped up. All of the frosh-soph kids ran under 13 minutes for two miles.”

Rudy Richards (ninth, 11:50.68) and Michael Hoyer (10th, 11:51.06) led the young Burros’ charge, cross the finish line within steps of each other.

After a tricky start to the season, with injuries playing a role, the Saturday race showed that the Burros are coming to form. With the first Mojave River League cluster meet on Wednesday, there couldn’t be a better time for things to fall into place. For example, Burroughs senior Josh Washburn, who has battled an injury, is expected to run on Wednesday, which will help shorten the Burros’ time gap from first to fifth.

“He will race no matter what on Wednesday,” Barnes said. “He’ll probably be on a bike till Tuesday, and then run on Tuesday. We know he can handle the situation. He is getting better, but basically, we’ll run him and race him when necessary.”

With an even tougher league this year – rather than it be a Sultana and Serrano-dominated league, there are more contenders for the three playoff spots this time around – the Burros have shifted their focus from beating the top teams to just beating whoever is out in front.

“We talked about the importance of getting out in a race,” Barnes said. “We can’t drop 50 yards behind. At some point, you have to say, ‘I’m gonna race, recover, and do well.’ We all know in the first 200-400 meters where we’re at.”

The Burros learned that during the Colton season opener, when they found themselves battling with a league opponent that seemingly came from nowhere: Oak Hills. At first, that threatened to change the Burros’ entire gameplan for the season. Instead, it only shifted their focus.

“We know we have to be there in the first mile and have the strength and ability to close,” Barnes said. “We’re up against four of five teams. We have to focus on ourselves.”